Not once but twice
What are the chances of having your shoelace come undone twice in a 3km time trial? Just ask Joel Wilkinson because that's exactly what happened to the combine standout on Friday. The most galling thing for those for us less-physically gifted is that he still finished seventh overall with a time of 10:26!

But things should turn out OK
Wilkinson, a Queensland local who's eligible to be taken by Gold Coast before the NAB AFL Draft, put himself right in the frame for selection with his sprint record and endurance at the combine. He hadn't had much to do with the Suns before the combine, but was spotted chatting earnestly with Gold Coast recruiting guru Scott Clayton soon after his 3km performance.

Even greener
Will Gippsland Power's energetic small forward Jed Lamb ever escape the legacy of his green boots? Lamb's footwear came under plenty of notice during the 2010 season, so much so that every AFL club that interviewed him during the combine asked, 'What’s with the boots?' Well, they're so effective that Lamb won the kicking test on Thursday with an extraordinary 29 out of 30. And what was his prize during the presentations at the end of the combine? Another pair of green boots, this time from combine sponsor Under Armour - and much brighter than his originals, too.

Kruse control
Northern Territory tall defender David Kruse seemed to emulate his surname during the 3km trial at the combine. Kruse, 18, from Darwin club Wanderers, cruised along near the back of the field before unleashing an almighty sprint. Darryl White anyone?

Me Tarzan!
Haydn Hector created quite a stir when he broke the eight-year-old beep test record of Jarrad McVeigh on Thursday. The GWS-eligible lad finished the beep bare-chested and roared with delight as he hit the 15.7 mark. Later asked about the lack of shirt, young 'Hec' said that the Under Armour compression top had been a little tight for him. Fair enough. But why, when he started the 3km time trial in a loose-fitting number, did he still finish without a shirt on?

Life happens
Kevin 'Shifter' Sheehan has overseen many a combine and he was thrilled with the talent on display in the 17th incarnation of the event. The widely-respected talent manager traditionally gives out a few informal prizes at the end of each camp and the best one this year went to Eastern Ranges midfielder Brad Harvey. The poor kid went from chocolates to boiled lollies when Wilkinson beat the 20m sprint record he had set just 30 minutes before. The 'Life Happens' award saw him at least take home a brand new Sherrin.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.